Pipe vise



H. G'. BUTT PIPE VISE Filed Jan. 25, 1944 a s M Patented Aug. 6, 1946 LQUNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE PIPE VISE Herbert G.AButt, Winthrop, Mass.

vApplication January 25, 1944', Serial No. 519,603

4 Claims. (01.81-21) This invention relates to vises adapted to grip pipes, rods, bars, etc., having a movable jaw which is forced toward a fixed jaw by mechanism mounted on a xed standard, and with which is combined a brace or tie member for connecting the xed jaw and standard so that the stresses appliedv in closing the movable jaw will be prevented from bending or warping the base or foundation on which the xed jaw and standard are mounted. By way of illustration, I have here shown my present invention as applied to a pipe vise of the character of that shown in my prior Patent No. 1,623,045, granted April 5, 1927.

vThe object of the invention is to provide automatic means for coupling and uncoupling the connecting member in association withthe opening and closing'action of the jaws so as to ensure the presence of the coupler in its operative location whenever closing stress is applied to the jaws, and to insure remova1 of the coupling member, when the jaws are opened, to a position which leaves an unobstructed passageway into the space between the open jaws.

In explaining the invention, I have shown it applied to a pipe vise essentially like that of my prior patent before mentioned, but Without intending thereby to limit the invention.

In the drawing,

Figure l is a side elevation of a vise embodying this invention, showing the jaws in near approach to their fully closed position, and the brace or coupler in its operative position.

Figure 2 is a partial section and partial elevation of the same vise showing the jaws open and the brace or coupler displaced to one side of the passageway leading to the opening between the Jaws.

Like reference characters represent the same parts in both of the gures.

The structure of the vise comprises a base Ill, a standard II constituting a fixed jaw, and a standard I2 which supports means for operating a movable jaw I3 in cooperation with the fixed jaw. The movable jaw is connected to the base by a pivot I4, although it may be otherwise mounted so as to be capable of approaching and withdrawing from the fixed jaw in gripping and releasing pipes and other bodies.

For operating the movable jaw, a hand lever'I 5 is mounted on the standard I2 by means of a pivot I6 and has a short arm 15a connected by a link II with the knuckle pivot I8 of a toggle linkage. Said toggle linkage is composed of an arm I9 coupled with the standard I2 by a pivot 20, and a link 2I connected to the jaw I3 by a pivot 22 and to the arm I9 by the knuckle pivot I8. The link 2| is of turnbuckle construction having a nut of which the bore is oppositely threaded at opposite ends and into which project oppositely threaded Shanks 23 and 24 from lugs which are engaged with the pivots 22 and I8, respectively. By rotating the nut, the link may be selectively lengthened and shortened. Link Il is coupled with the hand lever arm I 5a by a pivot 25, and is curved or recessed at 26 in the region which lies next to the pivot I6 when the lever I5 is depressed in closing the jaws. The recess 2E is deep enough to enable the pivots 25, I 5 and I8 to be brought into the same plane and the pivot 25 to be carried somewhat beyond the common plane of pivots I6 and I8, into self-locking position, when the toggle linkage Iii-2l is straightened. The arm I5a and link II thus constitute a second toggle which is straightened at the same time that the toggle I 9-2I is straightened.

A xed stop 2l on the standard I2 and an adjustable screw stop 28 on the handle I 5 cooperate to limit the downward or jaw-closing movement of the handle when the toggle I5a-I`I is in the self-locking position. A coupler or tie member 29 is connected by the pivot 30 with the standard I2, such pivot being held by arms 3| on the standard I2 projecting toward the fixed jaw standard I I. It may be noted in passing that the standard l2 is constructed with two parallel uprights spaced apart from one another, that the pivots I6, 20 and 30 are held in these uprights and cross the space between them, and the link I1 and toggle arm I9 are located in the interspace. The fixed jaw standard II carries an abutment 31, here shown as a pin mounted in, and extending across the space between, spaced apart lugs 32 which rise from the top of standard II. The coupler or tie member 29 has a complemental abutment in the `form of a lug or hook 33 on its free end so disposed as to embrace the abutment pin 3l when the coupler is placed in the position shown in Figure 1. The face 3d of `the hook 33 is at approximately the same distance from the axis of pivot 30 as the far side of the abutment pin 3l, and is coaxial with the pivot. Thus it can slide past the abutment without binding and, when in locking position, lies close enough to the abutment to prevent any appreciable distortion of the base under the pressure due to the toggle linkage.

The tie member or coupler is automatically actuated to swing aside from the space above the jaws when the latter are opened and to come into coupled connection with the abutment 3l when the jaws are closed. For so actuating it, I have provided a series of gear teeth 35 on the pivoted end of the coupler arranged on a pitch line coaxial with the pivot 30, and a series of teeth 36 conjugate thereto on the side of the link l1 next to the coupler. The link is constructed with an outwardly projecting portion at the side thereof toward the jaws, on which the teeth 36 are formed, this portion being suitably designed with reference to the path of movement of the link to make the pitch line of the teeth 36 conjugate to the pitch line of teeth 35. Since the opposite ends of the link swing about different pivots and ,l

are carried by arms which are not parallel to each other in any position, the inclination of the link as a whole changes continually throughout its range of movement; and the teeth 36 are suitably disposed to compensate for that peculiar motion.` The teeth 35 may be considered as constituting a gear segment coaxial with the pivot of the coupler and the teeth 36 as constituting a second gear segment which is conjugate to the first segment. The endmost tooth 36a of the segment carried by the link is so disposed as to interlock with the endmost tooth 35a of the coupler-carried segment when the linkage is in the position for opening the jaws most widely, as shown in Figure 2, whereby to lock the coupler in its turned back position and prevent it from swinging forward so as to cause the teeth of the two segments to jam or to come into incorrect mesh. v

It will be apparent from a comparison of Figures 1 and 2 that the gearing thus described automatically raises and swings back the coupler 29 when the jaws are opened, and swings the coupler into the locking position when the jaws are closed. The disposition of the teeth and the length of the hook endV or lug 33 of the coupler are suitably designed to cause interlocking of the coupler with the abutment 3| before the toggles have been fully straightened.` This insures that the standards will be tied together before a suiiciently severe stress is applied to the toggle mechanism to cause bending of the base.

In consequence of the driving gear teeth 3B being formed on the link I1, they are actuated by the handle I5 in its movement to shift the coupler from one position to the other. Although the disposition of the teeth as shown is useful and important, it is not a limiting factor of the invention, and other arrangements of teeth, and other means than gear segments may be provided within the scope and purview of the invention for causing operation of a coupling means in time with opening and closing movements of the gripping jaws. The invention is not limited to combination with pivoted jaws, but may be used with mechanisms containing sliding or otherwise movable jaws, such, for instance, as that shown in the C'allan Patent No. 1,112,192, dated September 29, 1914.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A vise comprising a base, a jaw standard rising from the base, a supporting standard rising from the base and separated from the jaw standard, a cooperating jaw mounted on the base between the standards movable toward and away from the jaw standard to coact therewith in gripping and releasing workpieces, a coupler pivoted to the supporting standard at a distance from the base and movable between a position extending across the space between the standards and another position in which it is clear of such space,

said coupler having a hook portion arranged to embrace a lug on the jaw standard when the coupler is in the rst named of said positions, an operating` lever pivoted to the supporting standard, a toggle linkage between said supporting standard and jaw, a link connected with said operating lever and the knuckle of said toggle linkage for straightening and breaking the toggle with movements of the hand lever in opposite directions, and intermeshing gear segments associated with the coupler and last named link disposed to shift the coupler from one of its positions to the other in consequence of the said movements of the hand lever.

2. A vise comprising a base, separated iixed standards rising from said base, one of which constitutes a jaw abutment and the other of which is a supporting standard, a jaw supported on the base between said standards movable toward and away from the jaw abutment for cooperation therewith in gripping articles, a coupler on the supporting standard arranged to extend across the intervening space into coupled connection with the jaw abutment standard and being movable away from such space, an operating lever mounted on the supporting standard, and mechanism intermediate said lever and jaw for moving the latter toward and away from the jaw abutment, said mechanism including interconnected parts, one of which parts is coupled with the lever and is engaged with the coupler s0 that the coupler is actuated to engage the jaw abutment when the lever is shifted to bring the movable jaw into gripping position, and is moved away from the intervening space when the lever is shifted to retract the jaw.

3. A vise comprising a base, a jaw standard rising from said base, a jaw supported on the base with provision for movement toward and away from the jaw standard, a supporting standard on the base at a distance therefrom, a toggle arm, an operating lever and a coupler, all pivoted to said supporting standard, the couple1` being engageable with and disengageable from the jaw standard, a toggle link connecting said toggle lever with the jaw for actuating the latter. when the operating lever is moved, and an operating link connected at one end with said operating lever and at the other end with saidtoggle arm, the

coupler having gear teeth in arcuate arrangement around its pivot and the operating link having gear teeth in an arrangement conjugate to the rst named gear teeth to mesh therewith and cause movement of the coupler as the link is moved by the operating arm.

4. A vise comprising a base, separated standards rising from said base, a movable jaw cooperative with one standard to grasp articles, an operating lever mounted on the other standard, mechanism including a link operable by said lever for moving said jaw toward and away from the standard with which it cooperates, and a coupling member mounted on the same standard on which the operating lever is mounted and being movable into and out of coupled connection with the jawcooperative standard, said link and coupling member having interengaging teeth arranged to effect shifting of the coupling member away from its coupled position when the jaw is moved away from the cooperative standard and into its coupled position when the jaw is moved into grasping relation with the cooperative standard.

HERBERT G. BUTIL 

